Dr. Danielle Nesbitt

Assistant Professor

Dr. Danielle Nesbitt is an Assistant Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health, Physical and Secondary Education at Fayetteville State University. Dr. Nesbitt received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Clemson University, Masters of Arts in Teaching, Physical Education, and her Ph.D. in Physical Education from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Nesbitt's current research centers on functional motor competence, primarily one's ability to stand, as a way to enhance the understanding of the origin, development, and decline of human movement as it relates to potential health risk behavior (PA, weight status, and health-related fitness) in children, adolescents, and adults. Examining functional motor competence provides a unique window to understand why developing the ability to move effectively in childhood is vital for promoting positive trajectories of physical activity, fitness and weight status levels across childhood and adolescence, as well as continued physical activity as adults. Her research examining supine-to-stand as a measure of functional motor competence has proven fruitful as the development of supine-to-stand has been noted as a precursor to physical independence in early childhood and the elderly, its consistent link to cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength/endurance, and bodyweight status from early childhood into adulthood provides valuable insight for its potential significance as an early lifespan assessment screening tool.